In the Dark
by T.F. Author
Summary: Saya grows up in a Ninja village with no interest in becoming a Ninja. Rated T To be safe *Original character*


Saya lived in a small hut by the Ninja Academy for as long as she could remember. According to her older brother, Daiki, Her parents sent them to live in Konoha so Daiki could be a ninja. When she was little, Saya would often ask Daiki why their parents hadn't come with them and he would get mad and punish her. There was nothing particularly striking about Saya, she was a normal little girl in most respects and in great contrast Daiki was handsome, strong, and the head of his class at the Academy. Girls would follow him out of the Academy and he had friends… Saya had no friends

She was about six, Daiki didn't know when her birthday was so neither did Saya, but she placed herself somewhere around the middle of June. Other children were playing in front of the academy, waiting for their older siblings she assumed. She looked around and walked slowly towards the other children. She was immediately thrown aside by a boy with long dark hair, a girl with the same length of hair as Saya quietly mumbled, "Neji you almost hurt that girl…" The boy turned around and held his hand out to help Saya up whose lips was trembling and tears were welling up in her eyes. , "Oh don't cry you stupid girl, it's only a scratch" Saya wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry I just wanted to play." The boy looked down at her; she looked up timidly and realized the boy had no pupils. Her eyes widened, "We're not playing. We are training. Now be on your way." Saya whispered, "Can I train too?" "Go train with Lee or something you runt."

The boy pointed in the direction of a boy with a long braid who was trying to fight a dummy. Saya walked up behind him and got hit in the face for the second time in ten minutes. She cried out and fell. The boy continued to fight the dummy, unphased. Her eyes clouded up with tears and she stood up glaring at the boy, she jumped to her feet, sadness turned to anger and she jumped on him, she was nearly his height despite being at least a year younger. He screamed in pain as she bit his shoulder while holding on. "SAYA!" Daiki ran over and tried to pry the girl from the boy's torso. "LET GO OF HIM!" Saya stopped biting for a second to say simply, "Not until he apologizes." The boy ran into a tree with a swing and immediately knocked himself unconscious. Saya rolled away their faces where facing each other, He had a sweet face, not attractive by any standards but kind. Hikari felt a twinge of guilt when she saw blood flowing out of a cut on his head.

Daiki ran over to her, "What is your damned problem?" He grabbed Saya's short hair and pulled her up. She started to cry again, "He hit me" she sobbed, "I'm sorry Daiki..." Daiki rolled his eyes and looked over to the boy named Neji, "You wouldn't happen to know where he lives would you?" Neji gave Daiki the directions and Daiki turned to Saya, "Well what are you waiting for? Pick him up."

"But…." Daiki struck Hikari across her face, "You hurt him it's your job to carry him." Hikari tried to lift him but he kept slumping, she finally got him off the ground and fell. It took three hours and a lot of crying to carry the unconscious boy the two miles to his house, he woke up after an hour but Daiki insisted that Saya continue to carry him. Saya started to talk to him, "I'm really sorry I bit you. . . My name is Saya." "My name is Rock Lee. . . I forgive you Saya." Daiki was walking so far ahead; he was almost out of sight. They started to talk about simple things, things little kids would talk about.

**4 years later**

Rock Lee was carrying a girl on his back as he ran laps around the village early in the morning. Sakura Haruno laughed because the girl was asleep. She looked out her window and watched him trip over a rock and fall. The girl woke up with a startle and rolled away, "I am so sorry Saya! Are you injured?" The girl got up slowly wiping blood off her knee, "It's okay Lee." She jumped on his back again and he resumed running but instead of her sleeping they were talking. Sakura went back to bed.

Saya had seen the pink-haired girl stick her head out of the window "So are you going to ask out Sakura-san Lee?" Lee put his head down a little, "She only has feelings for Sasuke, not me" Saya lowered her head unknowingly breathing on Lee's neck making his face red, "What happened to never giving up Lee?" "Saya… you will understand when you are a little older." Saya almost jumped off but thought better of it, "I'm only one year younger than you, Lee. " Lee stopped and let Saya down, she was a few inches shorter than he was, "Please do not grow up too fast." She looked up at Lee and smiled grimly, "I'm already a grown-up according to Daiki" Lee looked up at the sky and sighed, "You have to be independent, it doesn't mean you have to grow up."

"I trust you Lee, you know that?" Lee nodded and started to walk Saya home. Lee chattered on about Sakura Haruno and Maito Gai, his two favorite people. Saya was little more than training equipment or an annoyance, at least that's how she felt. She had no desire to be a ninja she wanted to sing, but she was painfully shy. The moment she opened her mouth she practically fainted. So she helped Lee train, it was the only reason they talked. He was always training and otherwise wouldn't give her a second glance. Sakura and TenTen were the only girls he socialized with willingly. Saya was like a ghost, pale and undetectable. She had no distinguishing characteristics, she wasn't outstandingly attractive, and she had large green eyes, really light brown hair, and was frail and sick looking. Lee chattered on and on about how beautiful and perfect Sakura was. Saya felt herself getting more and more hurt that he was in love with Sakura, but she couldn't understand why. She started to cry.

"Why are you crying?" Lee was actually, genuinely, worried about her. He grabbed her shoulders lowered his head down to her level. He was a full head taller, black met green and he tried to shake her out of it. This was his first time really REALLY noticing her face. She was covered in bruises and scratches. She had bruises on her throat and a cut by her wind pipe. He dropped her shoulders and wiped a tear from her cheek, her sobbing brought a deep red to his cheeks. He was embarrassed for her. "Wh-why are you all bruised?" Lee didn't want the answer he knew was coming.

"Daiki…got mad again. Don't worry it doesn't hurt, it's not even that bad!" Lee got angry, "Not that bad?" He punched the ground; the resulting waves sent Saya flying about ten feet. Saya got up rubbing her newly scraped arm," What do you care anyways? I'm just a piece of training equipment to you!" Lee's anger melted away quickly as he watched Hikari walk away blood trailing from her arm. He started to run to her but fell back when he realized he had nothing to say. Lee had known Daiki was strict, but he didn't know he was abusive.

"Lee!" He spun around still angry and saw Neji snickering, " I never thought YOU'D be late for training… hurry Gai- sensei has something important to say."

**Saya**

"Bye Lee..." Saya walked inside the hut. Daiki immediately ran to her and struck her," Where have you been? My breakfast is cold!" Daiki had become increasingly violent as his exams to become a jounin approached. Hikari became limp as blow after blow struck her. When it was over Daiki collapsed and held her, sobbing and pleading for forgiveness.  
>Saya was beaten and sobbing. Daiki lay her down on her bed and went to wipe her blood off his arms. He put on his headband and walked out without saying goodbye. Saya forced herself up and started to clean. She cleaned until her hands started to bleed. Afterwards, she went outside and started walking, blood trailed from her knuckles leaving dark droplets everywhere she went.<br>Tears streamed down her bruised and dirty face, making it sting. She didn't have anyone to talk to. Lee was the only one who tolerated her existence, and he probably didn't even care. She couldn't talk to Daiki because he got angry if she looked at him wrong. Her parents were...somewhere... She collapsed in the middle of the dirt road and stared up and watched people passing by not noticing the bleeding girl, she closed her eyes.  
>When she opened her eyes she was being carried, "Lee?" the figure stopped "I'm not Bushy Brows..." he had a cheerful voice."Who are you then?" the figure laid her down on a bed; she realized she was indoors now; "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Your future Hokage!" "Why am I here?" Saya sat up and looked up at Naruto; he had spiky blonde hair and an optimistic smile. "You were lying in the middle of the street and I couldn't just leave you there. So I brought you home! If you don't mind me asking... Who did this to you?"<br>Saya frowned, "it's my fault. I'm Saya Yamada." Naruto frowned "It can't be your fault unless you did something really bad." Saya smiled grimly, "I guess you're right... I better get home before Daiki gets worried. Thanks for helping me Naruto-san." she bowed as a sign of respect and left Naruto's apartment.  
>Upon arriving outside she realized she was in a part of Konoha she didn't recognize. She was hopelessly lost. Saya circled Naruto's apartment three times before walking to Ichiraku's Ramen to ask directions. She walked up to the teenage girl serving three people at the end of the bar. "Excuse me could you point me in the direction of the Ninja Academy?" She felt hands around her waist lifting her from the ground, she screamed.<br>"It's only me Saya!" she looked to the side and saw a lock of blonde hair "Naruto?" Naruto sat her down on the barstool," You were circling my apartment so I thought you needed directions..."  
><strong><br>Lee (1st person)**  
>Gai-sensei and I were sitting at Ichiraku's Ramen eating dinner when Saya walked up to Ayame. I was about to greet her but she screamed. I jumped up ready to protect her, only to see it was Naruto. He placed her on the stool and they started talking, she did not even notice me. She just smiled at Naruto and they walked away laughing.<br>I finished eating and went home. On my way, I noticed her bleeding from her head. Pretending not to notice, I walked up to her. Her tears instantly hurt me, I cared too much for her for it to be healthy "Are you ready to train?" she looked up at me wiped her tears and smiled, "Okay..."

She climbed onto my back, "Lee, do you care about me?" I stopped in my tracks, "Of course I do, Saya. Why do you say that?" "Because. . . Because you never notice when I get hurt. You just use me like some sort of training equipment that you don't properly maintain." I lowered her to the ground and turned to face her. She'd been crying, really hard. "Saya. I adore you, what wrong?" She flung herself into me and started to sob.


End file.
